


sorry about the blood in your mouth

by q_is



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Blood and Injury, Bruises, Fights, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M, Soft Na Jaemin, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Zhong Chen Le is Whipped, but it's just mentioned theres nothing graphic, chenle has a lip ring, except the injuries?, homoerotic cleaning wounds, that should be a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26854360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/q_is/pseuds/q_is
Summary: "Chenle-""I know, I'm sorry. You're disappointed-"Jaemin sighed. "I'm not."Chenle froze, staring at him like he was seeing him for the very first time. Jaemin played with his fingers, not yet ready to let go, trying and failing to soothe his thundering heart."I'm not disappointed, Lele. I'm worried", he said, vulnerable like never before, "I don't like seeing you hurt. I don't care about what they say. I care about you."
Relationships: Na Jaemin/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	sorry about the blood in your mouth

**Author's Note:**

> this is very self indulgent <3 i just wanted to write some Homoerotic Cleaning Wounds and practice my kissing writing thats all! :D
> 
> also definitely based on that one vlive ages ago where jaemin was wearing pastel and chenle was in all black and they were sitting right next to each other :')

Chenle's face was a mess.

Jaemin froze by the open door, trying to make sense of it. One of his eyes was swollen and black, brows half furrowed in anger and pain. His nose ran blood, streaming down his lips and dripping from his chin into the pink shirt Jaemin had jokingly given him for Christmas. The mark on his cheek was already turning purple. 

Those were only the bruises Jaemin could see. He didn't doubt there were more.

"Chenle?!"

It wasn't a surprising sight. If anything, it was to be expected, yet Jaemin never failed to get anxious.

Chenle looked up from the floor, the best he could, to Jaemin's face. They were supposed to meet to watch a movie in half an hour. Jaemin was just finishing getting ready to leave when Chenle knocked on his door. 

"What happened?", he asked, seeing as Chenle refused to talk. 

Jaemin's heart hurt as he watched Chenle chew on his lower lip, smearing blood all over it. His lip ring was crooked, hanging on by a thread. Chenle shook his head, raising his hand to press his knuckles against his nose. 

Fine, then. Jaemin sighed, urging him inside. Chenle let Jaemin take his hand and pull him to the bathroom. He hoped his mom wouldn't arrive earlier today, this would for sure get messy. 

He made Chenle sit on the toilet lid, turning to get the first aid kit from under the cabinet. Jaemin had never needed to use it before befriending Chenle, it was worrisome how often this very scenario repeated itself. He clenched his fingers after putting it on top of the sink. They were dirty with the blood from Chenle's hand, contrasting with his pastel blue sweater.

Jaemin shook his head, pursing his lips as he opened the kit.

"I'm sorry", Chenle said, voice hoarse and low, frustration melting away into something else, "I know I promised I wouldn't fight anymore-"

"Then why did you?", Jaemin couldn’t help letting his disappointment seep through his voice. He turned around, holding the cotton balls and saline bottle tightly in his hands. 

He wasn't angry. Jaemin was past angry. Looking at Chenle's slounched form, hiding on himself, it was pitiful. But Jaemin didn't pity him either. 

Every time Chenle got himself into a fight, he came out worse than before. When Jaemin was around he could get Chenle to back off but he couldn't be there all the time. Jaemin hated to think there would be a time Chenle wouldn't get out of a fight at all.

Chenle sighed, lowering his head so he wouldn't have to look at Jaemin. Expected but disappointing.

"Pinch your nose", he said, seeing as Chenle wouldn't explain himself.

Jaemin kneeled in front of the toilet, between his legs, putting everything he needed on the floor. When he looked at Chenle, he was looking right back at him, eyes filled with guilt but no regret.

"I didn't mean to get into a fight", Chenle said, voice muffled from holding his nose, "I didn't... start it."

Jaemin clenched his teeth, shaking his head as he wet the cotton with the saline. He was done with excuses.

"Stop. If you're not gonna tell me why, then I don't want to know."

Chenle chewed on his lip ring, trying to keep quiet. Jaemin knew him. He knew Chenle was itching to explain himself, but whatever actually happened kept him from doing it. If the situation had been any different, he would’ve been more understanding, more caring. But his thoughts were a mess in his head and all he could do was wonder about the what ifs. 

Jaemin got Chenle's free hand in his, cleaning the wounds in his knuckles. It was bloody and purple, already starting to bruise. Chenle threw a mean punch now but it wasn't always the case. Jaemin remembered the first few fights and having to physically force Chenle into a hospital for his broken thumb. Back then, Jaemin thought it would be an on off thing, that he could talk Chenle out of harming himself. Wishful thinking, he realised now. 

He changed the cotton for a new one, rising to his knees to get closer. Chenle let go of his nose so Jaemin could clean it, and hissed when he patted it, swollen and sensitive, maybe broken. Jaemin wouldn't be able to tell. 

"Sorry", he whispered, heart hurting.

Chenle shook his head dismissively as Jaemin lowered his hand to clean his cupid's bow. The cotton fell and Jaemin's fingers brushed his skin, smearing blood over his upper lip.

Jaemin swallowed but his mouth was dry. He couldn't tear his eyes away from his creation, letting his thumb trace Chenle's mouth until it caught on his lip ring. Chenle slightly parted his lips and Jaemin finally realised what he was doing when he felt his breath hitch on his skin.

He let go, unable to look at Chenle as he got a new, clean cotton ball, though he felt Chenle's stare prickling his skin. Jaemin's hand were trembling as he tried to go back to his task.

"You have to look at what you're doing, Nana", Chenle said, softly.

Jaemin let out a shaky breath, raising his eyes but keeping his head down. Chenle's eyes were attentive and curious, observing Jaemin like he was trying to read him, trying to make sure he saw what he saw. It was alluring, and Jaemin found himself getting closer without meaning to.

They were two weird people, Chenle and him. An unlikely friendship that wasn't supposed to happen, had they not known each other their whole lives. It was always the two of them. Always would be. That was why Jaemin was so scared to lose him, it would be like losing a part of himself.

"They were talking about you."

Chenle's low, hard voice cut through the silence, and Jaemin finally raised his head to actually look at him, at his furrowed brows and bloody pursed lips. His hands turned to fists on his lap. 

"Who?", Jaemin whispered to not disturb whatever calmness that enveloped them. He took Chenle's hands in his, loosening them up so he would stop digging his nails into his palms.

Chenle let him, lacing his fingers with Jaemin's. His heartbeat, loud in his ears, was all he could hear aside Chenle's voice.

"Those assholes from school", Chenle spat, painfully, "The ones that always make fun of you."

Oh, well. Jaemin squeezed his hands, swallowing against the lump in his throat. Chenle squeezed back, bringing one of Jaemin's hands to his lips, leaving a feathery kiss on his knuckles. When their linked hands fell to rest on Chenle's lap again, Jaemin's was dirty with his blood. 

"I-I know I promised you", he choked up, "But I couldn't stand there and let them say that shit about you."

"Chenle-"

"I know, I'm sorry. You're disappointed-"

Jaemin sighed. "I'm not."

Chenle froze, staring at him like he was seeing him for the very first time. Jaemin played with his fingers, not yet ready to let go, trying and failing to soothe his thundering heart. 

"I'm not disappointed, Lele. I'm worried", he said, vulnerable like never before, "I don't like seeing you hurt. I don't care about what they say. I care about you."

There was a beat of silence as Chenle looked at him, eyes blown wide. Or, as wide as they could be. His black eye looked painful and Jaemin hated seeing it. They should have put ice on it as soon as they could, but there were more pressing matters. Like Chenle letting go of his hands to cup his face. 

Chenle's bloodied fingers dirtied Jaemin's cheeks when he caressed it, giving him no time to think as Chenle leaned down to kiss him. 

Jaemin gasped, eyes falling closed and he melted into it. Chenle's lips were soft and delicate against his despite tasting like blood. Jaemin's whole body tingled and all he could hear was his heart, so loud in his ears, as Chenle licked into his mouth. A shiver ran down his spine and he sucked on his tongue, hooking his fingers on the rip in Chenle's skinny jeans and holding on for dear life.

Chenle moaned painfully when Jaemin pulled on his lip ring, wincing back slightly. 

"I-", he whispered, voice hoarse, lips brushing against Jaemin's, "I..."

Jaemin nodded. He didn't need him to say anything.

"I know. Me too."

Warmth spread across his chest as Chenle smiled softly, moving his hands to bury his fingers in his hair. It was overwhelming, all the feelings in his heart that Jaemin didn't have words for. But him and Chenle never needed a lot, they were right there with each other.

They leaned back in at the same time and ended up bumping noses in their hurry. Chenle hissed, chuckling, while Jaemin backed up, whining worriedly as he tried to check if Chenle was alright. He raised his hands to cup Chenle's face as softly as he could to not hurt him even more. The blood was already dry and his nose had stopped running for a while, but they should definitely finish cleaning him up. 

"You okay?", he asked, caressing Chenle's cheeks.

Chenle held his wrists to bring Jaemin's hands to his lips, giving his palms a small kiss.

"I am."

His heart fluttered and ached. He knew more than anyone how hard Chenle had been trying, but he couldn't simply shake this off. 

"Please promise me you won't fight anymore”, he said, close to begging, “I don't wanna keep doing this."

Jaemin hated it, every single time. Chenle meant too much for him and he couldn't keep watching him harm himself like that. Jaemin pulled his hand from Chenle's hold just enough to intertwine their fingers. 

"I promise. Really promise this time", Chenle said, squeezing his hand. He sounded sincere and Jaemin knew he meant it. 

He nodded, bringing Chenle’s hands to his own lips this time. That was all he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading <3 stream deja vu if you can!!!! <3


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